It is well known in the art that virtually all archers suffer from a condition known as “target panic.” Target panic is an involuntary, psychological condition which commonly results in the premature release of an arrow, or at least a strong desire to do so. Target panic also often prevents an archer from holding the bow site on target or bow steady while aiming at a target because the archer may fear missing the target, is anticipating the release of the arrow or is too focused on establishing proper shooting posture and positioning and, therefore, is unable to accurately aim. Developing appropriate “muscle memory” can reduce or eliminate the undesirable effects of target panic, and can take the archer's mind away from pulling the trigger. Therefore, it is important for archers to regularly practice to train the muscles involved in the shooting process. Such training preferably should be accomplished without the fear of throwing an actual arrow.
Various prior art devices exist to help archers develop proper shooting muscle control and memory. Previously such devices simply comprised a pair of grips connected by an elastic cord, such as the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,191, issued Sep. 2, 1986 to Remme. Later devices built on this basic idea and included various contraptions that attached to a bow or bowstring, such as the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,365, issued Oct. 1, 1991 to Carella, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,413 issued Nov. 17, 1992 to Carella. Other devices, such as the archery training aid disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,320 issued May 3, 1988 to Wiard, incorporate electronic components intended to visually alert an archer when a full bowstring draw has been accomplished. However, most prior art devices currently on the market are long, bulky mechanism which either attach to the bow or have their own handles. Such devices are not easily transported or stowed, and many do not offer the ability to adjust the bowstring draw length.